A Cup of Tea

Writer Noch Noch Li | July 17, 2014

Tea is such a common commodity in our lives that we don’t think twice when steeping our tea bags. Yet, tea has a long history and a wealth of health properties. Let’s dig deeper to find out what teas could do for our daily well-being.

Many of us sip teas after a meal, during the day at work, or at an afternoon gathering with friends. Mint, oolong, pu’er, rose hip, english breakfast, are all familiar names. But, what is tea? What is the difference between teas and herbal tisanes, or tea blends? Is it true that tea with caffeine is bad for us? Our tea experts give us insights into the benefits of drinking different types of tea, suited to our individual needs.

WHAT IS TEA?

We use the term ‘tea’ loosely to cover a wide range of beverages, but Karina Stewart, Co-founder of Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa and Doctor of TCM, explains that tea is what comes from a tea plant, native to East and South Asia. “Camellia sinensisis thought to have originated from a single place of origin, an area including the northern part of Burma, Yunnan and the Sichuan Province of China.”

Wei Gong, Founder of Neptune Tea, elaborates, “All teas come from a tea plant that contains theine, some contain more theine compared to others due to their processing method.”